Suction-nozzle control for vacuum cleaners



Dec. 1924 1,519,192

- W. H. DEMPSEY SUCTION NOZZLE CONTROL FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed Dec. 11, 191 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. H. DEMPSEY SUCTION NOZZLE .CONTROL FOR VACUUM CLEANERS Filed' Dec. 11, 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 51/1/1450 W. l/lZZl'a/w #36 22;

g I l 7 z y 7 w 3y) 5 @1412 Patented Dec. 16, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. DEMPSEY, OF BOGOTA, NEW JERSEY.

SUCTION-NOZZLE CONTROL FOR VACUUM CLEANERS.

Application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 344,020.

T all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DEMPSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Bogota, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suction-Nozzle Controls for Vacuum Cleaners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and particularly to control means for controlling the suction or vacuum of the suction nozzle; and though a pneumatic control means is shown in connection with an ordinary vaccuin cleaner, it should be understood that the invention is not limited either to pneumatic control means or to vacuum cleaners.

The main object of the invention is to provide automatic means for controlling the suction of the nozzle or positioning the nozzle of the cleaner to give the best and most economical use of the cleaner whatever may be the thickness or nature of the carpet or surface cleaned.

Another object is to provide a convenient device for controlling the action of the automatic means.

Another object is to provide a convenient and efficient means for cleaning pneumatic control devices.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein minute details of the invention are described, the invention is not limited to these, since many and various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

\ In the accompanying drawing, showing by way of example, one of many possible embodiments of the invention,

Figure 1 isa side elevation of a vacuum cleaner with my automatic control means applied thereto and shown partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional wow. I

My invention is shown embodied in combination with a vacuum cleaner;.5 provided with a downwardly opening nozzle 6, a suction chamber 7, a fan chamber 8, a motor housing 9, and rollers 12 mounted under and supporting the rear part of the motor housing; but the invention is not limited to these, nor even to vacuum cleaners.

A bellows housing 14 is fixed under an intermediate part of the motor housing and is provided with an intermediate downwardly disposed shoulder 15. A bellows is disposed in said housing 14 and comprises an upper plate member 17 secured on said shoulder 15 and having a port 18 therein, a lower member 19 having an inlet opening 20 provided with an air-tight door 21 therein, and an accordion pleated flexible side member 22 extending all the way around and connecting said upper and lower members. A stop ring 25 is secured in the lower edge-part of said bellows housing; and a slide ring 26 is secured to said lower member 19 and is provided with an upturned flange 27 slidable in said ring 25 and provided at its upper edge with an outturned flange 28 engaging over the stop ring 25 to limit the downward movement of the lower member 19. I

A pivot bracket 30 is provided on the mid-part of said lower member 19; and a pair of bearing brackets 31 depend from said fan chamber. A rocker arm 32'is pro-- vided with forwardly projecting prongs 33 intermediately fulcrumed on said brackets 31 respectively, and is provided with a rear extension 34 pivotally connected to said pivot bracket 30.

A forward roller 36 is mounted on the forward end of each of said prongs 33. A spring 38 in said bellows compressed between said upper and lower members tends to rock said arm and to raise said forward rollers 36 thereby to lower the nozzle to the carpet 39 or other support. A pipe 40 establishes communication between said suction chamber 7 and said port 18 of the upper member of the bellows for exhausting the air from the bellows, when suction is well established in the suction chamber, thereby against the action of the spring and tending to lift the nozzle 6 and with it the carpet until equilibrium of forces acting on the lower member 19 is established. A valve &1 in said pipe regulates the passage of air therethrough, thereby insuringevenness in the action of the nozzle control.

The operation of the device is very simple.

raising said lower member .19

The vacuum cleaner is merely used in the ordinary way. Before the motor is started up or before the nozzle has made a proper seal or connection with the carpet or other surface, the vacuum in the suction chamber, and therefore in the bellows, is not strong enough to counteract the spring 38 and the nozzle is lowered to the carpet, whereupon proper seal is made and the air is rarefied in the suction chamber raising the nozzle to just the proper height, as in Fig. 1. The nozzle will not be raised too high, since before this takes place there will be an increased intaking of air at the nozzle which will decrease the vacuum in the bellows and lower the nozzle somewhat. If the cleaner is moved over a less worn or thicker part of the carpet or onto a thicker piece, the'seal is made a little tighter and the vacuum increased and the nozzle thereby slightly raised. If, the nozzle moves to a thinner portion, the reverse action takes place; and it is noted that these actions are always strictly automatic.

By regulating the valve 41 so as to prevent too abrupt a passage of air to the beltained.

Should any dust collect in the bellows, the door 21 is opened and the fan sucks all of the dust out through the port 18 and pipe l0, and deposits it in the usual dust bag 43.

In operation, the various mechanisms of this device cause the nozzle to maintain certain relative distance position from the fabric being cleaned through the differential action caused by the constriction or nonconstriction of the incoming air through the suction nozzle.

This constriction is formed by the amount of resistance provided by the closure of the suction nozzle by carpet or'other fabrics be mg treated.

In actual practice, the diflerential action of the suction nozzlecauses a ap under the carpet or other laid fabric eing treated whereby to clean the fabric from the bottom outward and also to clean the floor surface underneath.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination, a suction device adapted to be associated in operative sealing relation with an object; and means controlled by the suction of said device, and maintain- I ing said relation irrespjective of the position of support by said 0 ject and carried entirely by said device for automatically yieldably maintaining said device in sealing rela tion and for automatically varying said relation, inversely as the relation becomes varied from normal.

2. In combination, a suction nozzle for cleaning; spring controlled bellowshaving air connection with the nozzle; rollers; and a rocker member cooperating between the spring controlled bellows and the rollers for lows, smoothness of action is always main-.

'zle; a hollow control bringing the rollers into and out of contact with the object to be cleaned and thereby automatically yieldably maintaining the sealing relation between the nozzle and the object to be cleaned.

3. In combination, a device provided with a suction chamber and nozzle and adapted to carry a partial vacuum of normal operative inside pressure and to induce an intake current of normal speed and volume, said nozzle being adapted to be moved in close proximity to an object thereby to establish a substantial operative relation therewith, and automatic means for automatically moving said nozzle away from said object if said pressure be reduced, and automatically moving said nozzle toward the object if said pressure be increased.

4. In combination, a fabric cleaning device comprising a motor, suction action mechanism and a suction nozzle; and means for causing the suction nozzle to maintain a certain relative distance position from the fabric through the action caused by the air variation in pressure of the incoming air through the suction nozzle; said pressure being formed by the amount of resistance provided by the closure of the suction nozzle by carpet fabric or other fabrics being treated; thereby to cause the raising of the carpet or any laid fabric being treated and forming an air space therebeneath; whereby to clean the floor surface underneath and the fabric from the bottom outwards. I

5. In combination, :a vacuum cleaner provided with a suction nozzle a support for said cleaner; and a means including bellows controlled by the suction ofthe nozzle for a vacuum cleaner provided with a suction nozzle; a suction producing means communicating with the nozmunicating with the nozzle; andan openable cleaning inlet-opening normally closed during operation of the cleaner and comnfunicating with the interior of said control means.

8. In combination, a vacuum cleaner provided with a suction nozzle; a suction producing means therefor; a bellows for controlling the nozzle; a conduit connecting the interior of the bellows with the nozzle; and an openable cleaning inlet-openin normally means for controlling said nozzle and having its interior comclosed during .operation of the c eaner and' communicating with the interior of said, bellows.

9.. In c mb nation, a vacuum cleaner provided with a suction nozzle; a suction producing means; a hollow suction contro means for controlling the nozzle having communication with the nozzle; and means for modifying said communication for influencing the action of the control means.

. 10. In combination, a. vacuum cleaner provided with a suction nozzle; a suction producing means; a hollow suction control means for-controlling the nozzle; a passage connecting the interior of the control means with the nozzle; and an adjustable valve in said passage' 11. In combination, a vacuum cleaner provided with a nozzle and a suction chamber; a bellows secured to the cleaner and communicating with the suction chamber; rollers supporting said cleaner; and a connec-' tion betweenthe bellows and said rollers for raising said nozzle.

12. In combination, a vacuum cleaner provided with a downwardly opening nozzle, and a suction chamber; a bellows comprising an upper plate member fixed under the cleaner and having a port therein, and a lower member; a rocker arm fulcrumed on said cleaner and having a rear extension pivotally connected to said lower member; forward rollers on the forward end of said arm; a spring compressed between said upper and lower members; and a pipe establ chamber and said port.

lishing communication between said suction 13. In combinatlon, avacuum cleaner provided with a nozzle, and a suction chamber;

a bellows comprlsing an upper plate member fixed under the. cleaner and having a port therein, and a lower member having an inlet opening therein; an air-tight door for said inlet opening; a rocker arm fulcrumed on said cleaner and having a rear extension pivotally connected to said lower member; forward rollers on the forward end of said arm; a spring compressed between said upper and lower members; and a pipe establishing communication with said suction chamber and said port, whereby a con- 'stant draft of air may be caused to traverse said bellows from said inlet opening to said port when said door is 14. In combination,

open. a support; a suction cleaning device having a nozzle; and means operatively connecting said support and nozzle and automatically maintaining said nozzle in operative relation near a part to i be cleaned; said means being operative to move the nozzle toward said part when the pressure in the nozzle increases.

a -WILLIAM H. DEMP-SEY. Witnesses: 1

H. D. PENNEY, H. M. Kmramrox. 

